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Sumit SinghalSumit Singhal loves modern architecture. He comes from a family of builders who have built more than 20 projects in the last ten years near Delhi in India. He has recently started writing about the architectural projects that catch his imagination.

Lake Lugano House by JM Architecture

Lying on the slope of a hill, on the shores of Lake Lugano , the villa consists of two volumes organized on different levels due to the particular topography of the site.

A polygonal shaped glass pavilion with rounded edges stands above a linear underground block. The living and dining room, the kitchen and storage spaces are located in the pavilion, while bedrooms, bathrooms and garage are in the lower level. Each level relates itself with independent outdoor spaces, which are closely related with the interiors.

The glass pavilion overlooks two very defined areas: the first, toward the mountain, is a very private zone resulted in the area between the property line and the building setback line according to the local building code. The second is a garden overlooking the lake. In the same way, the bedrooms face a garden enclosed by the building and the perimeter wall.

Night View (Images Courtesy Jacopo Mascheroni)

The ring, obtained between the perimeter wall above and the pavilion, amplifies the interior space, with seems much larger than what it actually is. The ring-like space, that embraces the building on the north side, grants constant ventilation and natural light to the living areas, also due to the white cladding of the perimeter wall and white gravel which reflect the sunlight coming from the south.

Images Courtesy Jacopo Mascheroni

The horizontal treatment of the perimeter wall emphasizes the scenography, creating moving shadow effects according to the different position of the sun in the sky. At the same time, a night-time artificial light scene is the ideal reverse field for the lake panorama.

Interior View (Images Courtesy Jacopo Mascheroni)

All the additional functions of the pavilion are contained in a central lacquered wood block, which acts as a sort of a thick penetrable wall that separates the kitchen from the living room without dividing the space with doors, and in which are located the powder room, the kitchen, the stairs, bookcases, all mechanical systems and the technological and audio-video equipment.

Interior View (Images Courtesy Jacopo Mascheroni)

Great attention is given to the environmental aspects, as the use of geothermal energy, roof gardens, the rain-water collection system, the choice of highly efficient low-emittance glass insulated with argon gas, to optimize the thermal efficiency of the shell and the use of natural sun shading as the placement of deciduous trees in the south-west area of the building.

Interior View (Images Courtesy Jacopo Mascheroni)

JM Architecture

JM Architecture, founded in 2005 by Jacopo Mascheroni and based in Milan, provides a range of architectural and design services to clients in Italy and abroad. The firm creates spaces where refined, pure, and timeless architectural lines meet with the most advanced technology to provide a graceful combination of exceptional aesthetic elegance, utility, and comfort. Each project is approached as a unique opportunity and is a tailor-made solution incorporating the firm’s meticulous attention to details, finishes, and materials selection.

Interior View (Images Courtesy Jacopo Mascheroni)

In both new-construction and renovations, the appropriate integration of the architecture into the site and the surrounding landscape is a priority, and careful implementation of home-automation, audio-video systems and energy efficient solutions are hallmarks of each project. The works have earned national and international attention and have been published in print on four continents as well as widely published online. The dynamic output of the studio is driven by the collaboration of the firm’s talented professionals who represent many nationalities and backgrounds and continuously strive to imbue the work with the ideals of simplicity, coherence, clarity and harmony.

Interior View (Images Courtesy Jacopo Mascheroni)

Jacopo Mascheroni was born in the province of Milan, Italy in 1974. He was educated at the Politecnico di Milano and the Ecole d’Architecture Paris Belleville and he completed his studies at the University of California at Berkeley in 1998. He began his professional career in the United States in 1999 at Stanley Saitowitz / Natoma Architects in San Francisco, where he worked on several residential projects. He moved to New York in 2001 to join Richard Meier & Partners, where he was the project manager and design principal for the project Jesolo Lido Village, Hotel & Tower, which has received a number of important international prizes and awards. In addition to this role, he worked on several acclaimed projects in the United States and Europe. He has been invited on numerous occasions to serve as a guest critic at the Architecture Faculty of the City College of New York and the New York Institute of Technology, and was granted a United States green card for extraordinary ability in the field of architecture. He established JM Architecture in Milan in 2005. The firm operates under his creative direction and constant input to convert into reality the dreams and needs of the firm’s distinguished and discerning clientele.